2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pesenti
An Italian surname indicating an occupational origin, possibly relating to someone who weighed or distributed supplies.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Pesenti. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pesenti surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Pesenti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesenti, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pesenti
The surname Pesenti is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the northern regions of the country, particularly in the areas around Milan and Bergamo. It is believed to have originated during the medieval period, likely between the 11th and 13th centuries.
One of the earliest records of the name Pesenti can be found in the Estimo, a tax record from the city of Bergamo dating back to the 14th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Pesenti, indicating their presence in the region at that time.
The name Pesenti is thought to be derived from the Italian word "pesante," which means "heavy" or "weighty." It is possible that the name was initially given as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who was physically large or had a strong presence.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Pesenti was Bartolomeo Pesenti, a renowned painter from Bergamo who lived from around 1420 to 1485. His works, including frescoes and altarpieces, can still be found in various churches and galleries across the region.
Another historical figure with the Pesenti surname was Giovanni Battista Pesenti, a scholar and theologian from Milan who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520-1589). He was a prominent figure in the Catholic Church and authored several religious texts.
During the Renaissance period, the Pesenti family established itself as a notable noble lineage in the town of Treviglio, located in the province of Bergamo. Records from the 16th and 17th centuries mention the Pesenti family as influential landowners and patrons of the arts in the region.
In the 18th century, Gaetano Pesenti (1708-1784) was a notable Italian architect and engineer from Bergamo. He designed several important buildings and infrastructure projects, contributing significantly to the architectural landscape of his home region.
Another notable figure was Camillo Pesenti (1766-1840), a military officer and patriot from Bergamo who served in the Napoleonic Wars and fought for Italian independence.
Throughout the centuries, the Pesenti surname has been present in various parts of northern Italy, with many individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in fields such as art, literature, religion, and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pesenti
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesenti, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pesenti bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pesenti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pesenti
Pesenti appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,055 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 3,055 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pesenti surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #156,044 | #152,989 | 2.0% |
| Count | 104 | 105 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pesenti bearers went from 104 to 105 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 3,055 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #152,989.
FAQ
Pesenti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pesenti?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Pesenti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Pesenti?
Pesenti ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Pesenti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pesenti.
Has Pesenti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pesenti went from 104 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Pesenti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesenti, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pesenti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pesenti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pesenti (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pesenti mean?
An Italian surname indicating an occupational origin, possibly relating to someone who weighed or distributed supplies. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pesenti (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Pesenti?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.